Tool for date marking molds



Dec. 13, 1960 F. SUNDSTROM 2,963,961

TOOL` FOR DATE MARKING MOLDS Filed Aug. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l a -%zy Dec. 13, 1960 J. F. SUNDSTROM TOOL FOR DATE MARKING MOLDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1957 United States Patent O TOOL FOR DATE MARKING MOLDS John F. Sundstrom, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 21, 1957, Ser. No. 679,466

4 Claims. (CI. 101-4) This invention relates to a tool for date marking molds, and more particularly to a tool that may be selectively positioned to mark the interior of a plastic casting mold With indicia indicative of the months of the year.

In the casting of many plastic or other moldable articles, it is often very important to provide some means of simply date marking the articles so that at a later time, if defects are noted in the article, the exact date of casting is available. The necessity of such information is manifest since it -is reaJized that it is almost impossible to make each batch of casting composition exactly alike or to prevent variations in the molding process; consequently, when articles are found to be defective, the composition utilized or the conditions under which the article was molded may be readily checked by reference to records kept in accordance with the dates of each casting operation.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a hand tool of simple and economical construction for marking the interior of a mold with indicia representing the date of use.

Another object of the invention resides in a pnnch that may be selectively positioned and manually struck to indent a portion of a mold with a mark in accordance -with a particular month of the year.

-A further object of the invention is the provision of a markng pnnch that may be selectively positioned during succeeding months to mark the mold without obliterating the marks made during the preceding months.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hand tool that may be accurately positioned on a mold and struck with a hammer to mark a removable soft slug positioned in the wall of the casting mold.

With these and other objects in View, the present invention contemplates a soft metal slug placed in the wall of a casting mold in alignment with an entryway. Positioned about the entryway is a slotted guide abutment adapted to have mounted thereon a collar having a key for cooperation with the slot. The collar is provided with a central aperture having twelve radially extending slots. A pnnch member having a key Secured to the shank thereof is adapted to be selectively positioned in the collar. The forward face of the punch has a marking element formed thereon.

In use of the tool, the pnnch is selectively positioned so that the key thereon fits within one of the slots formed in the collar, which slot is indicative of the month in which the mold is to be used. Next the pnnch is struck with a hammer and the marking element makes a single mark in the soft metal slug, the relative position of which is indicative of the month of the year.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an exploded side elevational view partially in section showing a marking tool of the present invention in conjunction with a casting mold;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a molded article showing the date identifying indicia thereon;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the marking tool and casting mold showing the punch in marking position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the collar for accurately locating the punch within the casting mold;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the collar and pnnch taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a top View of a slug positioned in the wall of a casting mold having date indicated marks formed therein, and

Fig. 7 is a view taken along lines 7-7 of Fig. 1 showing a lower face of the ma'king punch.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, there is shown a mold 10 into which plastic or other moldable material is to be cast. Positioned within a cylindrical aperture formed in the lower wall of the mold is a removable slug or insert 11 made of some relatively soft material such as lead or Zinc or other suitable metals or alloys that may be readily marked by a punch. An entryway 12 is provided for receiving the casting material, and positioned about the entryway is an abutment 13 that is generally circular in cross-sectional shape. The abutment .13 is provided with a slot 14 for accommodating a key 16 (see Fig. 5) secured to a collar 17. The collar 17 has formed therein 'an aperture 18 and a series of twelve radially extending slots 19 (see Fig. 4). Stenciled or otherwise marked on the upper face of the collar 17 and associated with each of the slots 19 are identifying letters indicating the months of the year.

A pnnch 21 that is circular in cross-sectional area has a key 22 formed thereon and is adapted to be selectively positioned within the aperture 18 so that the key 22 can ride through one of the selected slots 19. 'I' he upper shank portion of the pnnch is knurled to facilitate gripping. Formed on or otherwise Secured to the lower face of the shank of the pnnch 21 is a marking element 24 (see also Fg. 7).

At the start of the year in which it is 'desired to use the tool, a pnnch is used to knock the slug 11 from the wall of the casting mold 10, and a slug is inserted in place thereof containing numerals indicative of the year. In Fig. 6, these numerals are 57 and are reversed. The numerals 57 may be either raised or formed in a relief on the slug 11. The collar 17 is then positioned on the aperture 18 and the key 16 actng in the slot 14 accurately locates the collar thereon. Next, the pnnch 21 is fed through the aperture 18 and the key 22 is positioned to ride within the slot 19 indicative of the month of January. The marking element 24 engages the slug 11 and the upper end of the pnnch is struck a slight blow with a hammer whereupon the element 24 forms a depression in the slug 11. At the first of each month in which the mold is to be used, the punch 21 is again positioned within a succeeding slot 19 and struck to put an additional indentation in the slug. Considerng that the pnnch has been utilized at the first of January, February and March then the slug will have three radial indentations formed therein such as shown in Fg. 6. When the mold is utilized to cast articles each one of the articles will have formed thereon numerals 57 surrounded by a series of three radiating projections such as indicated in Fig. 2. It is to be understood that the collar 17 can be positioned over other entryways into the mold besides the entryway used for casting purposes.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements of apparatus and Construction of elemental parts are simply illustrative of an application of the principles of the invention and many other modifications may be made without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

"1. In a tool for markng a slug positioned in register with an entryway of a mold, a collar adapted to spam the entryway, said collar having an aperture formedtheren in register with the slug, said collarhavng a plur'lity of -radal Slots extending `from said apert'ure, ai cylind'rical' marking tool having a marking projection extendn'g'fromone end face' thereof, anda key formed on the shank of the marking tool to selectively fit in any of the radial Slots. i e r 2. Ina tool for mai-king a soft, metal slug positioned in a wall of casting mold, said mold having' an en'tryway in alignment with said slug, a collar ada'pted to be positioned over said entryway, locating means on said collar for positioning the collar with respect to said entryway, said collar having a central aperture anda plurality of radial slots extending from said aperture, a punch slidablymounted in said aperture to project into said mold and having a marking element on the end thereof adaptedto engage the slug, and a key Secured along the shak` ofthe punch to selectively fit within one of the' radial Slots. i i

3. A tool for marking an inner surface of a mold having an entryway, comprising a collar adapted to span the entryway of the mold, said collar having an axially multi-slotted circular aperture therein in alignment with the entryway, a cylindrical mai-king tool slidably mounted in the aperture, said cylindrical marking ,tool having a marking projection on the end thereof for engaging the inner surface of the, mold, said cylindrical markiug tool having a key formed on the shank thereof to freely and,

selectively fit in any of the slots for angularly orienting the marking tool.

4. Apparatus for marking an inner surface of a mold having an entryway, which comprises a collar adapted 5 to encircle the entryway of the mold, means for angularly orientng said collar aboutsacl entryway, said collar having a centrally disposed apert'ure formed therein and a plurality of guide passages disposed about the periphery of said aperture, and a markig tool 'mdvably mounted 10 withinflthe apertur frried' in said collar and having a marking element -at one extrernty there'offor marking the inner surface of the mold; said rarki'ng tool' having a guide key extendng therefrom for--freely and' selectvely moving within one ofjsaid guide RaS ages in accordance 15 with the desired position of saidmarking element relative to the inner surface of the mold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

